In the last four days, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s re-election campaign has sent out four different fundraising emails invoking the name of former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown.

This makes sense for three reasons. First, Brown suggested in the spring that he might run against Shaheen and has spoken at seven different events in the state since. Second, Monday night was a key campaign fundraising deadline and Brown is a nationally known name that should be easy to raise money against. Third, it is a trick that Brown used himself when he was running for re-election in Massachusetts.

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In the emails, Shaheen tells supporters that they “cannot afford to underestimate” Brown. If he were to run against her, Brown would have the backing of Karl Rove and national Republicans, she said. This email was basically re-sent by a staffer to Brown rival U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. In the two days after two more Shaheen fundraising emails invoking Brown.

Not that Brown liked it. Brown told The Boston Globe, “I think it’s shameful for her to do that, for one, because I’m not a declared candidate. I think she should be addressing the government shutdown problem.”

Shaheen has put out statements relating to the shutdown, but Brown should know her fundraising tactic well.

As he headed to his own re-election he used a report that MSNBC host Rachel Maddow could be recruited into the race to join him. Commonwealth Magazine quotes a Brown fundraising appeal from March 2010.

“It's only been a couple of months since I've been in office, and before I've even settled into my new job, the political machine in Massachusetts is looking for someone to run against me. And you're not going to believe who they are supposedly trying to recruit -- liberal MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow,” the Brown email said.